Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Ohio Could Set Record Wheat Yields

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Ohio Could Set Record Wheat Yields
USAgNet - 07/22/2009

Ohio could be looking at record wheat yields this year, driven mainly by near-perfect growing conditions and negligent disease development.

Pierce Paul, an Ohio State University Extension plant pathologist and wheat specialist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, said preliminary reports indicate growers are harvesting 80- and 90-bushel-per-acre wheat, with 100 bushels per acre in some locations.

According to the Ohio Agricultural Statistics Service, over 70 percent of Ohio's wheat has been harvested and the crop is getting good marks.

"We've had a fairly good wheat season this year. It was established well and we had a good crop going into spring," said Paul. "That carried over into late spring/early summer because we had cool conditions, which meant excellent conditions for grain fill and less favorable conditions for disease development."

Compared to neighboring states, Ohio wheat growers escaped any major disease problems, including head scab, which turned out to be a low risk for growers this year.

"There is the odd field that has experienced some lower yields, and when we say lower, we mean in the 50 or 60s. And there is the odd grower who planted wheat after corn and had problems with head scab. And there is the odd grower who had some seed-associated diseases," said Paul. "But, in general, everybody is doing well and we expect a great harvest."

Paul said that preliminary test weights are also good, with estimates in the upper 50s and 60s. He said that weather conditions were the contributing factor toward the successful wheat season.